Fool Me Once Shame On Me
by WhiteSwordsman
Summary: "Kaz, we all put on our pretty masks to please the public. But at the end of the day, when we take off of those masks, underneath shows our inner demon." An AU where Venom sowes his own fate after learning the truth a little too early. Reviews are highly appreciated.
1. Chapter 1

The wind blew through his hair as he stepped outside of the chopper to peer down at Mother Base. Another successful mission. The two prisoners were captured and fultoned to Ocelot, ready to go under whatever persuasive methods the man had for them. Venom Snake patiently waited for the chopper to land before stepping off, which felt like hours. To his surprise, as soon as he got off, he was greeted by several saluting soldiers.

"Welcome home, Boss!" They all saido simultaneously. _New recruits_ , he thought. _They always kissed the most ass._ Snake cared for all of his men, but he was starting to notice a pattern. He stepped forward slightly and caught one of them hesitate. _Odd._ He then got close to another soldier's face. The man back away quickly, confirming Venom's suspicion. These men were different from the rest that came here. Their eyes were clouded with _fear._

He noticed some were slightly trembling. Was it in fear of _him?_ He began to worry. Fear wasn't the way to run a nation. What new methods has Ocelot been using? In fact, it it was about time have a talk with him. The man was starting to act outside of orders. He began began to bring in items and new materials without a care for the cost. He noticed some of his men were missing, which was caused by Ocelot _firing_ them. He needed to ensure him who was the boss around here. Just because you are second-in-command doesn't mean you have full control over how things work.

Snake barged in the man's office, only to find it empty with objects scattered everywhere. This was strange, usually Ocelot was the _cleanest_ person on this base, so why did this room look as if it were ransacked? Whoever was in here, they probably needed to find something- and _fast._

Deciding to check what was toppled over, Venom headed toward an open file cabinet. Each folder contained a soldier's information not including their previous alliances. He searched through the files- nothing was missing. Thinking this was suspicious, he checked the two remaining drawers- but there was nothing missing again. He closed the drawers and proceeded to check the desk, finding a case full of cassette tapes. These weren't the mission briefing files- Venom already has those. These are _new._ Or rather, _he wasn't given these_. But why? What made them so special?

He quickly stepped outside and called over a nearby soldier. "Do you know when Ocelot is coming back?"

"Umm… if I do recall correctly, commander Ocelot is still busy with the prisoners."

"And how long ago was that?"

"He actually started as soon as you arrived, Boss."

 _Probably because he didn't want to get caught slacking off,_ he thought as he chuckled to himself. After dismissing the man Snake went back inside, locking the door and closing the curtains so nobody could see what he was doing. He grabbed his earpiece and hooked it in the cassette player. Opening the box, he began to go through the tapes and randomly selecting the ones with only numbers.

"1" was the one he started with. As soon soon as he hit play, he heard a familiar voice.

" _From now on you are going to be referred as Naked Snake."_

" _Naked Snake?"_

" _What, haven't you tried snake before?"_

I was _Major Zero_. And… _him,_ but younger. The tape continued to play the whole conversation before ending. Why was this recorded? He continued to play the numbered tapes in order, which all contained the main codec calls in every mission he was in. Odd, why were these all in tape? He moved on to the titled ones. One in particular was named, "A True Patriot", but he already knew what it was and moved on, couldn't bear to hear the sorrowful speech. He came across one tape about Paz talking to… _Major Zero?_ Another tape was a recorded of him and _Skullface_ talking as well! He began to feel confused. He never recalled any of those extra conversations, not even the Santa Claus one. He only remembered the mission briefings. Was his memory manipulated? Something told him these tapes were the key to unlocking a dark secret. And he found one that fit the hole: " _From the Man Who Sold the World"_

At first, he thought it would be about The Boss or Zero, but what he heard clearly said otherwise.

" _Now do you remember? Who you are? What you were meant to do? I cheated death, thanks to you. And thanks to you I've left my mark. You have too - you've written your own history. You're your own man. I'm Big Boss, and you are too... No... He's the two of us. Together. Where we are today? We built it. This story - this "legend" - it's ours. We can change the world - and with it, the future. I am you, and you are me. Carry that with you, wherever you go. Thank you... my friend. From here on out, you're Big Boss"_

His body froze completely, staring at the screeching noise at end of the recording. He shut off the player and slowly removed the headphones, dropping them on the floor. His world had just _shattered_.

"I'm…." No, he refused to finish it. There must have been a logical explanation to this. There _had_ to be. It was his own voice, it was him… But, at the same time, it _wasn't._

There is _two_ Bosses? _Two of them?_ That meant that one was fake, the _phantom._ But he already knew the answer to that. It was already obvious.

 _My life… is a lie? Everything I have built… was it all for nothing?_ If that was true, then what was his real identity? Who was he before he became Big Boss?

Suddenly, Venom felt the whole world turn against him like a tide. _I wasn't supposed to know about this,_ he thought. _This was meant to be saved for later, when the time was right._ Venom began to worry. He doesn't know anyone, at least not anymore after listening to the tape. Kaz, Ocelot, and everyone else could easily turn on him. There's no one to trust.

No one at all.


	2. Mission 01: A Disturbed Soul

The night seemed to be endless. Sleep was now unobtainable. How could he sleep? He felt more awake than ever. It was as if the dark veil had been pulled away from his eyes, now catching a glimpse of the true side of the world. Even the words seemed to have forced itself down his ear, then making laps around his mind.

 _I'm big boss, and you are too._ As if that made any sense. The man he became was nothing more than shadow- a phantom- just as they wanted. He was supposed to support the legend, not become one. Nothing more than a pawn in the proxy game of war. He chuckled. He supposed that the name he was given was given to to him for a reason: The venom of bitter hate and revenge that coursed through his veins the same way as his blood did. The punishment of what would become after.

Snake clutched his pillow, tension coursing through his arm as he tightened his death grip. Drops of sweat ran down his heated face, parts of his hair stuck to his skin like glue. The sound of a ticking clock overlapped his pounding chest. Paranoid thoughts repeating themselves.

First, he needed to find what was being used as a way to communicate with the so called "real Big Boss". Nothing could go smoothly if there's was no way to check in with the one in charge. The best way to figure out what was happening was to first cut off ties to any other third party, and he knew how. Mother Base had satellites, and where there was a satellite, there was a radio tower. There was one located on top of the main platform... where Ocelot's office was. His room was located on the first floor somewhere below the radio room.

The bed creaked as Venom slipped out and headed towards the door. It released cold steam as it opened, sending in the warm air from outside into the air-conditioned room. The sudden switch of temperature made him sneeze. Despite the time being midnight, the air still smelled salty, and it was somewhat refreshing. Snake appraoched the railings before heading down the steps. No matter what time of day it was, the base was never quiet, and he preferred it that way. Looking down, he noticed two of his men down at the first floor smoking.

The more closer he was downstairs the more clear the conversation between the men were.

" ...I heard it took four men to hold her down, including the Boss!"

"No way, really? Didn't she have to be tranquilized twice before she was knocked out cold?"

"Rumor has it, it was four."

"Jesus!"

"Yeah. Man, Black Mastiff was one lucky son of a bitch."

"Don't even see why the Boss decided to keep her. She's obviously working for Cipher. Even commander Miller doesn't trust her."

"But you have to admit, that body she has is just… damn. I'll tell you, I didn't need to secretly keep that stash of the Playboy magazines anymore."

"Heh, me too. You know, You'd think the Boss just has her around to… you know…"

"Don't you even say it."

"But haven't you heard the rumors? I heard that sometimes you can hear moans from the Boss's room, and not to mention the woman would be nowhere in sight. I'm telling you man, her cage was empty!"

"Well… that would explain why she takes a shower every so often…"

 _"Then how about I explain to you why your assess are about to be kicked off this base."_

The two soldiers almost choked on their cigarettes. Even in the dark area, their faces turned ghostly pale. This man had enough power to even throw them into the ocean and still receive a medal.

" Boss!" The two immediately saluted in sync. Both were shivering and muffled prayers underneath their masks.

"I'm going to ignore what you just said. Do you two know where the radio room is?" Regardless of this being his base, Venom never really spent a lot of time exploring it. He mostly went into the rooms Paz was in and his bedroom.

"Down to the left and the door to the right up the stairs, sir." One of them replied, still frozen into submission.

"Right, thanks," Snake nodded and continue to head down the lane.

"Um… Boss?"

"What?"

"Is it true? The rumors, I mean."

Venom turned to the soldier and smirked. "If it were true then we would all have been dead by now. Also, she can't travel from the Medicine platform to here without an alarm going off. It's too far for anyone anyone to not notice a prisoner escaping."

"Oh… I apologize, sir"

"It's fine. Don't let this conversation happen again." He waved his hand. "As you were."

"Sir!"

He continued down the platform, his mind cluttered with thoughts. He then paused in front of the two doors. One was orange while the other- of course….

It had a picture of an ocelot taped to it.

He let in a sigh, pushing the door open carefully in hope that no one was inside again. Perhaps he should check this room before the radio room for any information. Ocelot never really sleeps in here either. He usually takes a five minute nap on the couch in the lobby and that would have been enough to fuel his energy for a day or two.

After fully entering the doorway, Venom gently closed the door, which, unfortunately, emitted a loud creak before echoing the sound of the door clicking into place. He froze, if this didn't alert anyone he wasn't sure what else could. A few moments of dead silence passed by, then realizing that no one was nearby, he relaxed, deciding it was safe to casually look around. To his surprise, the room had been cleaned. Several hours ago it looked like a wreck, and now it were as if no one had even lived in here. He wondered where the box of cassette tapes went- no that he even cared about them. One already did enough damage.

Now, if Ocelot were to keeping in touch with the other Boss, what would he use and where would he store it? He checked the two drawers behind the desk, making an attempt to open one of them, but felt resistance from it.

 _Damnit Ocelot! Where's the key!_ Venom frantically searched the desk for anything that could work as a key replacement. A card, hairpin, anything would do. Then he remembered, he had an ID card of his own that allowed him to enter buildings. Everyone had them, and he felt kind of embarrassed for not using this method earlier. He pulled the card out of his front pocket and slipped in the tiny crack of the desk. He jerked the drawer as the card went in, opening the lock.

But to his dismay, only two sheets of blank paper and a pen appeared inside. _Shit!_

He didn't know how much time he had left. It took a few minutes to open the drawer, and his card was already busted. He tried to search for a substitute, lifting stacks of paper and going through pencil holders- until- he spotted a paperclip. Snake had never felt more relieved. Unfolding it, he stuck the paperclip inside the keyhole and fiddled it around. Why wouldn't it open? Realization struck him as he recalled needing a bobby pin to help the paperclip. Where was he going to find that? Never mind that, there has to be something I can use to help ope-

"Looking for something?"

Shit.

Venom spun around at the sudden appearance of the man's voice. His focus on unlocking the drawer distracted him from what was occur around him.

"Ocelot, what are you doing here?" he stalled, closing the already-opened drawer behind the desk.

The man shrugged, giving an exhausted, sarcastic smile. "I don't know… maybe because this is _my_ room?" Ocelot gave him a dubious look, for whenever he took a few steps forward Venom would take a few steps back. "Now, if I didn't know any better, I'd say that you're looking for something of mine."

Venom furrowed his brow in suspicion but remained silent. He knew he was a terrible liar, maybe he was trained that way- unable to bend the truth in risk of "failing the mission." That was probably why he rarely spoke unless when needed to.

The western man pulled out dangling keys and pick out the paper clip before continuing to open the drawer. "Triple," he said. "Designed to make it near impossible to break in." Venom snorted. _Then I guess I must be that good with a card._ Ocelot took out a thick orange envelope and handed it over Snake, who jumped away.

He rolled his eyes. "Relax. Here, take it."

Snake continued to eye it as if it were about to grow legs at any second. "What is it?"

"It's the file with all of the applications sent by everyone around the world, remember? You gave it to me so I could deal with it later, but I guess you've changed your mind and now you want it back."

Snake sighed, relaxing his shoulders. "Ah, right. I'll get on it." before he could grab the envelope, Ocelot snatched it away.

"Are you feeling alright, boss? You seem to be getting all jumpy all of a sudden. Not even DD feels safe around you at your current state."

"I'm fine. Just need some rest," he said, dismissing the question. He was handed the envelope and stepped outside, cursing himself. _Idiot! How did I fail accessing information on my own base?_ It didn't matter anymore, for he already had what was in there, even though it served no purpose into what he was looking for. However, while this was still embarrassing for him, a dark thought clouded over his mind.

Ocelot , does he know? After witnessing him attempting to break inside a drawer must have have seemed odd for not the least suspicious. That can't be good… If anyone were clever as they were cunning, it was Ocelot. The man could get away with anything even if his name was all over the crime, not to mention he was a master at persuading people to do what he wanted. Damn, he must have known that the jig is up, and he's probably calling Big Boss now.

 _No, I shouldn't start assuming that!_ Venom shook his head. He decided that it was best to head over towards the rail and watch the sunrise, despite the time still being too early. He stared at the moon, half of it was as white as salt, while the other was shaded…

Like a phantom.

To his dismay, even the moon made him upset, and the crashing waves made it no better. He pulled out a Phantom Cigar and lit it, puffing out the smoke as the world around him continued on by. But what if Ocelot knows… His thoughts returned. What will happen to me?

He froze, dropping the cigar with his gaze staring blankly at the rising sun. It bled into the sky, giving a warm pink to spread into the blue. He was right, what would happen if Ocelot knew? Would he call off the operation? What if they had to kill him and find a replacement?

A replacement…

His heart raced, his ears pounded, he began to sweat. His life was at risk. Everything he built was at risk. What would they do to him?

Interrogation?

Torture?

Immediate death?

In the midst of his anxiety, a hand was placed onto his shoulder, snapping him out of his own head. "Snake, are you okay?" Venom turned around and noticed Kaz. He looked like he seen better days.

The man nodded. "I was just thinking. "

Kaz scoffed. "By breathing heavily and shaking? What kind of thoughts are in your head? "

"You have no idea" Snake picked up his fallen cigar and eyed it. Damn, too short to light it again. He grumbled, tossing the bud over the rail and into the sea. The two men stood there, marveling at the beauty of the new sky. A few seagulls flew by, riding along the wind gracefully. _At least you're free,_ Snake breathed, envying the birds' free will. The blowing winds covered up the awkward silence that lasted for a few minutes.

" Kaz, do you trust Ocelot?"

"Huh? What kind of question is that?"

"Well, I just assumed that-"

"I wouldn't trust him in a room full of armed guards even if he only had safety scissors with him! Listen, Boss, I know you and ocelot go way back, but you don't even know him. He only appeared just to fight you in the beginning, and now he wants to work for you? Doesn't that seem even a little suspicious to you?"

Venom furrowed his brow and hummed in response. Though he never met Ocelot before the hospital incident, the man was awfully friendly- that is, if he doesn't know the truth. If he did, then this was all a ruse, a well-set stage for the puppeteer to control his puppets. From this point on, he couldn't risk speaking to Ocelot. The man could spot a slight deterrence in personality through steel walls. He had yet to determine on whether he should be trusted or not.

"I'm going to go back to bed," Venom announced, turning away from the rails.

"In your room?" Kaz raised a brow. "I thought you can never sleep well enough in that place."

"I don't. That's why I usually rest in the chopper. But this time, I'll go somewhere else."

"And that would be…?"

"None of your business. Go make sure Ocelot is on duty and not chatting with Big Bo-" he froze. Careful, fool! There was an awkward silence, leaving Kaz to sigh and nod.

"Maybe you are that tired, Snake. Get some rest."

"Right." Deciding not to add anything else, he quickly walked away and headed for a nearby jeep. As soon as he approached one, he stepped inside and turned the key to ignition, giving out a low rumble from the engine. He really needed some sleep. His mind was barely starting to function.

The crisp air blew against his face as he drove down the long lane. It felt relaxing after being all hot from anxiety. He forced himself to keep his eye open. One wrong turn and the car would end up in the he reached the medicine platform, he stopped the engie and exited out ofthe vehicle. He got out and stretched before being drawn to where faint music was being played. It was jazz, and oh how it felt so soothing when he was tired. He was drawn to it like a moth to a light, slowly following its smooth rhythms downstairs, then halted in front of a cell. The woman inside, who was laying down on her bed with her legs casually swaying in the air, noticed the visitor and gave a warm smile, which was returned by a more fatigue one.

"Mind if I come in?" he barely spoke, yawning out most of his words. The music was really wanting him to pass out right here and now.

Without question, Quiet got up from her bed and opened her cell door after Venom unlocked it. She stepped aside as the man came in, immediately heading for the small bed. He collapsed into it, feeling relieved. His mind and body felt at ease. It was almost as if he was destined to be this bed. He hummed to himself and exhaled, adjusting his position before allowing his mind to rest. He felt a shift in weight on the bed near his head. Suddenly, he felt his head being lifted up and placed into a lap. A soft hand gently stroked his hair as if he were a cat. He and the woman had grown really close. He could trust her with a weapon without being shot, and that took a while to Convince Kaz Quiet was an ally.

"You have no idea how content I feel right now," he said to Quiet, who was still smiling softly and petting him. "I've been having a rough day." The woman continued to run her fingers again through his hair, making him sigh as a response. Before he knew it, his mind began to blur before entering darkness. And oh how welcoming it felt. No voices or thoughts had followed him, allowing himself to be was the first time he felt actual rest in a while.


	3. Mission 02: Heatflash

" _Boss, our Intel Team informed us of information leading to the location of the target. Sneak inside the village and scan the file."_

Venom acknowledged Kaz's orders and prepared to exit the chopper. He sat up from his seat and slid open the heavy door. The view from above made him feel like one of those seagulls he envied. The ground looked so small, he practically felt like a god. It wasn't long before the chopped landed on top of a small hill a mile away from the target. It dropped with a small bump, causing Venom to stumble.

"Hey, watch it," he warned. The pilot gave him a nervous glance before smiling awkwardly.

"Sorry, sir! I'm still new here…" Snake ignored the rest. He didn't need to hear a sob story. He knew how he came and why- it was the same as everyone else he fultoned.

He regained his balance before stepping of the carrier. A sudden reminder of the last time he arrived. He was about to tranquilize a soldier, but the bullet reflected off the heavy armor they were wearing. If fact, the armor made so much noise that it attracted everyone else around him. He grabbed his stronger rifle and flash grenades. This time he planned on leaving without _another_ bullet lodged in his body.

"Are you sure you don't want DD to come tag along?" It was Ocelot, who, for some reason, saw Snake and the dog as one of those best friend pairs in old western movies. The commander's new "style" bothered him. He knew The Boss was American and that she had her son during a mission somewhere, but Ocelot was technically Russian, having absolute zero ties to the west.

"I'm fine," Snake replied. " I'm entering a heavily guarded area. Wouldn't want him to get killed if we were spotted."

He hopped off the chopper and began to ran towards the village. The sun was still out, glaring at him like how Kaz stared at Quiet. He should've done this at night. He didn't expect the day to have been so bright like this. Anyone could spot him from a mile away unless he found cover. Luckily, he did find a nearby boulder closest to the location. However, it was directly infront, meaning that if he stepped out, he damn knew even a baby could spot , he pulled out his binoculars and poked his head out. He counted the guards that were there- or at least, in his field of vision.

" _One… three… seven…_ " he mumbled. " _Eleven...eighteen… thirty…"_ He then paused and blinked in disbelief. _Thirty? How was that possible?_ Not only did he not pack enough ammunition, but the village was small enough for a guard to be placed down every three meters away from each other.

Venom furrowed his brow while eyeing the two closest guards, who were both armed to the teeth and equipped with an rpg and an assault rifle. He noticed that these men were wearing masks that protected them from heavy fire- however- at the same time, that _blinded_ them. If according to his intel team, a few sandstorms may occur during the following week. That meant that there would be a high chance that one might blow over here. And that was where the _Phantom Cigar_ came in. His favorite part.

Putting away the binoculars, he crouched,his back toward the rock, and pulled out the cigar. After lighting it, he inhaled the sweet fumes that calmed his body, while time sped up around him. Now, this was always the tricky part- being able to stop. Ocelot never mentioned setting a timer for the effect of the cigar, and the temptation distracted him from stopping at the right time. He just had to learn self control and to not be pulled into the fume's addicting, comforting lull.

After a few hours sped by, Snake had begun to notice a few handfuls of sand blow, brushing his shoulder. This was his stop. He immediately ripped the cigar from his mouth and tossed it away to avoid the temptation. It wasn't long until the storm had gotten stronger, forcing Venom to put on his night vision goggles. Fortunately for him, the body heat detector had marked several targets. The rest were a faint yellow, but, nonetheless, were too far away to be detected.

He shot his suppressed handgun at one soldier, which he forgot that the bullet would've bounced right off him. Instead, he then ran up to him and jerked the helmet, snapping the neck in the process. The other guard noticed. And before he could say anything, Venom flipped him over and attached a fulton balloon onto his back- and he didn't plan the extraction to succeed. He only had to eliminate a few guards to save his strength, and this sandstorm would probably last for another five minutes. Quickly, he ran up the steps to the top floor of the building. He tore off the ragged blanket that was used as a makeshift door and peeked inside. Unfortunately, one of the guards was inside listening to the radio and noticed his presence as soon as the signal died. The guard reached for his gun, which was then kicked away by the intruder.

The soldier ran up to him and attempted to deliver a hard blow. Venom quickly reacted and slapped the arm away, leaving the man vulnerable for a push backwards into a table. A loud crack came from the fall, leaving the man limp and motionless. _Pitiful._ Snake returned to searched for the file. He then spotted a lamp shining light over a small stack of paper. He reached for the desk, turning over notebooks and documents, until, he found the bright yellow file that he was looking for.

He opened it and pulled out the iDroid. As soon as he was finished scanning, the machine buzzed before flashing red.

 _VIRUS DETECTED_

 _Shit…_ Venom cursed. This was the _sixth_ base that had done this already. Luckily, none of these viruses were serious, but they prevented the iDriod from downloading any new information. He had no choice but the take the file itself. He grabbed the folder and made a run for the nearest hiding spot that was just far enough from the spotted a cliff and decided to hide behind the edge until the storm clears.

Unfortunately, the storm didn't clear, and Snake was sitting down for almost an _hour._ The smartest choice would've been to smoke another cigar, but he wasn't sure how to long it would take. Plus, the sandstorm would blow him over since he wouldn't be exactly aware of his surroundings. He could either wait it out some more, or walk through it.

Covering his face, Snake quickly left the rock and ran, blowing sand hitting against his back. The farther he ran, the stronger the iDroid's connection grew. But the problem was, he didn't know where he was going. For all he knew, he could be heading straight toward a cliff. But that was what was last on his mind, for the sand grew stronger and began to get inside his suit, making it all itchy. He ran until he felt the weather die down. As soon as he stopped, he looked around him. It was all nothing but sand. Where was he?

Snake checked his iDroid and noticed the three bars on the screen. He called Ocelot and informed him of the situation.

"That's a relief, Snake. For a second I thought you were captured or worse- dead." He could tell the nervousness underneath the light chuckle. If he were this worried why even bother sending him out on missions? "I'll send you a chopper near your location. You're still in the mission zone, so that means you didn't wander too far. Try to stay in the area until you get picked up." Venom nodded and put away the device. He removed his scarf and shook it out, handfuls of sand falling out of the crevices and wrinkles, soon being carried off by the wind. He then patted himself down and shook his hair before putting the scarf back on. After getting himself situated, he headed toward where the landing zone was located.

Venom heard a loud cry nearby as he trudged through the desert sand. _That better not have been one of my men being captured,_ he thought. He was carrying precious information that couldn't risk being terminated. Nonetheless, he dared to see what the commotion was all about. To his surprise, it was a man who… looked somewhat _familiar._ Whoever he was, he sure looked funny. The man was flailing his arms around while vomiting out curses and war cries. This had to be a joke. It had to be a trap. _But what idiot would risk attracting a bigger threat in hopes of maybe finding their enemy?_

"Ocelot, got any idea on what I should do with this man?"

"Seems to me that the poor soul hasn't had anything to eat or drink for a few days. Actually, by hearing what he's blabbering about, this man has been alone for a while."

"No food or water _or_ company in while- in a battlefield? C'mon, Ocelot, that's impossible, even for me."

"Heh, I wish it were impossible, but it's true. The man has been surviving on whatever he could've gotten his hands on. The water may have came from a plant, or perhaps he used all of his rations and water canteens. Can you describe him for me so I can know what he's doing there?"

Venom observed closely and tried to focus on the moving survivor. Though he had to take out the binoculars because the man was moving too fast.

"A black mask, torn vest, and he has a pistol."

Ocelot nodded. "I see, but that description was so vague you just summed up the entire military force. I'm going to need a symbol or a badge. Try to concentrate."

He squinted his eyes.." The second his finished that word he heard a loud static before another voice joining the conversation.

" _Snake, check that logo and define its shape! What do you see-"_

"It's a skull in side view and a small banner. I can't make out the words though." Frantic breathing behind the radio filled Snake's ears. "Kaz? Is everything alright? What does the logo mean?"

A light chuckle was all he heard, something he thought Kaz would've never done again. "Boss…" He said. "That's a _Mother Base soldier. Our brother._ You've got to bring him back home!"

" _He's a wanderer,_ " Venom whispered out of disbelief. "But… how did he survive? The base was demolished _nine years_ ago!"

"We'll find out when he gets here. But right now, your number one priority is to get the information on board first."

Kaz injected Ocelot's order. "Are you out of your mind?! That man is a survivor! He needs to come back to us!"

"Kaz, I know how hard this is for you, but we can't risk important data over a possible threat."

"This man isn't a threat!"

"He's been alone for almost a decade now. His mind has been jacked to the brim, probably filled with hallucinations and paranoia. Boss also mentioned he was armed. You and I have seen what a broken mind can do with a weapon. We cannot risk it, Kaz."

The man held his breath and grumbled to himself. He then spoke again. "Snake, that man was one of your loyal comrade. He would've died for you even in the most painful way."

 _Of course they would,_ Venom thought. _That's what pawns do in a game of chess. Sacrifice the abundant amount for one coward._

"Boss, you seriously aren't going to let kaz-" His connection was cut as Snake turned off the radio. No more of this debating bullshit.

He observed the man, who was cursing out sentences and old conversations. This wasn't one of his men, it was supposedly Big Boss's. What was he doing here? And how was Mother Base exactly destroyed? The last memory he had was about destroying Peace Walker. He recalled a festival of some sort, but that was it.

 _Maybe that was when my memory was altered,_ he thought. He had forgotten, his memories were made up by audio recordings and hypnosis. Only the real Big Boss knew the full story, and for some reason, that made his skin prickle.

Venom tried to chase down the soldier, but the man was too fast for someone who lacked nutrition for _nine years_. It was only right when he was so close into grabbing him, when suddenly, the man immediately dashed in the opposite direction, knocking over his pursuer. Venom collided into the ground, surprised at the sudden strength.

He felt the walls inside his head compress into each other tightly. A sharp pain seized his mind, filling it with unknown voices… Images of his men flashed before his eyes. Fire danced around him, mixing with the thick cloud of fear. He clutched his head. _Stop it!_ The more he cringed, the more severe the pain could smell the burning flesh and hot metal, smoke filling his lungs. He wanted it to stop. The flashes were tormenting him up to the point of insanity. Suddenly, he felt a few short gaps of relief, vanquishing the suffering… but only for moment before another wave of it would crash back in. Deciding he couldn't take it anymore, he grabbed his gun- any didn't matter as long as it was going to put him out of his misery- and pulled his finger on the trigger….

 _BANG!_

The pain was over, the voices and cries stopped.

Slowly, Venom walked over towards the dead corpse and scowled at it. Its eye were still gaped open as if he were trapped in his own crumbling world for an eternity. A rumbling sound came from the east.

" _This is Pequod! I'm heading towards the LZ!"_

Good timing.

Right as soon as he prepared to turn away he heard another voice coming from his earpiece.

"Boss… did you just…" Kaz's voice appeared. The man sounded as if a he had seen a ghost.

"Not right now, the chopper is here anyway." Snake shut off the iDroid once again before running over towards the landing zone. He saw Pequod taking a turn before landing on the sandy ground. With the heat on top of him, Snake quickly boarded the chopper and rested in his seat, trying to collect his thoughts.

"Boss, there is a body lying over there. Should we retrieve it?" The pilot turned to look at the man, hands already on the controls to take off.

Venom waved his hand. "No, it was just an enemy soldier that followed me here. Let's go."

"Right."

He arrived at Mother Base, hopping onto the platform and greeted by more newcomers. They all saluted, and as always, he nodded in acknowledgement. He ran a hand through his hair. It has been a rough day, he could use a few hours of-

" _SNAKE!"_

Kaz stormed in, barely stumbling on his only leg. He pushed the men out of the way and connected his fist to Venom's sandied face, sending him crashing into the floor. "Snake, what the hell was that?!" His sudden anger had made the men behind him step back rather than helping their boss recover from the instant blow.

Venom stood up and brushed himself off. He responded with an empty glare as if there was nothing needed to be said. He continued to walk down toward Ocelot's office. He slammed the door open, startling the man, who was going through papers. The soldier shut the door behind him and approached the desk to hand the man the file. "Here's the data." he said.

Ocelot hesitated before slowly reaching out his hand to grab it. Oh, how this moment seemed so familiar. The commander opened his drawer and dropped the file inside. "Thanks, I'll look over it later."

The door slammed open again, making the man jump. He sighed. "Please open the door gently."

Kaz ignored the request and marched to where Venom was and faced the desk. "Do you know what had just happened?!"

"Um… the Boss received the data?'

"No! He straight up shot the survivor and killed him!"

There was silence. Ocelot's eyes widened. He then turned to face Venom and furrow his brows in disbelief. "Wait… you killed a wanderer? One of your own men?"

"I did what I had to do."

"Bullshit! You just shot him without a care in the world! He was apart of our family!"

"No, he wasn't, Kaz. He was just a soldier who is no use to us now."

Both men became silent, deprived of their words. "Boss," Ocelot began. "I don't think you-"

" _Big Boss has tons of men dying out here- one person shouldn't matter if they are completely at his disposal!"_

"You've lost your mind…" Kaz muttered.

"The hell I did." And with that, Venom silently left the office. _Telling me that I have lost it… they're the ones pulling an act!_


End file.
